St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Edina, MN

What St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Edina, MN does

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a private, nonprofit Episcopal parish located at 4439 West 50th Street in Edina, Minnesota, founded in 1937 and part of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota (ECMN) denomination. It serves parishioners and community members in the Edina and surrounding Minneapolis-Bloomington-Richfield area through weekly worship services (Sundays at 8:00 and 10:15 AM, plus Wednesday Morning Prayer at 9:00 AM), sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Burial), faith formation programs for all ages, music ministry including 'Concerts by the Creek', and an extensive community outreach portfolio. The church is led by Rector The Rev. Tom Cook, Associate Rector The Rev. Christy Stang (appointed October 2024), Director of Music Ministries Clark Duhrkopf, and a small staff of approximately 7 employees, supported by lay leadership through a Vestry.

The church's technology footprint is functional rather than differentiated: a multi-camera live streaming system was installed in January 2022 to support online worship on YouTube, online giving is processed through the Tithe.ly platform, and engagement occurs via Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and a weekly email newsletter. Outreach is a defining activity, with the Outreach Committee awarding $100,000 in grants to partners in 2023 and sustaining long-term relationships with VEAP, Casa Maria, First Nations Kitchen, Holy Cross Anglican School in Belize (since 2007, approximately $40,000 committed), Habitat for Humanity through the EpiscoBuilders program (since 2015), Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative's Aster Commons project, and Good Courage Farm. A Second Century Campaign is underway for facility improvements ahead of the church's 90th anniversary in 2027, accompanied by community programs such as the 'Dear God, What's for Dinner?' anniversary cookbook.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary contributions: weekly offerings, annual pledges, one-time gifts, legacy/estate gifts, memorial and floral gifts, and freewill donations at events such as the annual Pig Roast. The church's 'customers' are its parishioners and donors rather than paying clients, and its scale is small (staff of 7, approximately 33 households participating in online worship). Its strategic posture is one of a mature, stable parish investing modestly in digital reach, leadership depth, and community-facing programs to sustain engagement into a second century.

Name

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Edina, MN

Legal name

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Website

https://ststephens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a nonprofit Episcopal parish in Edina, Minnesota, founded in 1937, serving local parishioners through weekly worship, sacraments, music ministry, youth programs, and community outreach to regional and international partners, funded entirely by voluntary donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Episcopal Parish Worship

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN)

Keywords

• Episcopal worship services
• Liturgical parish ministry
• Faith formation programs
• Church music ministry
• Community outreach ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Edina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Giving and Tithes: Voluntary contributions from parish members through weekly offerings, annual pledges, and special donations. Includes one-time gifts, annual giving (pledging), and ongoing tithes.
2. Special Purpose Gifts: Legacy or estate gifts, floral donations, memorial gifts, and special collections for outreach initiatives and campaigns.
3. Event-Based Donations: Freewill offerings collected at events such as pig roasts, concerts, and parish gatherings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Stephen's is a parish church that delivers weekly Episcopal worship services, administers sacraments, and provides music ministry, faith formation for children and youth, pastoral care, and outreach programs to its congregation and the wider Edina community. Programming is sustained by member pledges, donations, and special gifts rather than fees.

Product overview

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a religious organization offering worship services, sacraments, music programs, and community outreach. The church provides weekly in-person and online worship (Sundays 8 & 10:15 AM, Wednesday 9 AM), sacramental services (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Burial), Music Ministry including 'Concerts by the Creek', outreach programs supporting VEAP, Casa Maria, First Nations Kitchen, and Habitat for Humanity, youth and children's programs, international mission trips to Belize, and online giving through Tithe.ly. The church also publishes the 'Dear God, What's for Dinner?' 90th Anniversary Cookbook as a community project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Episcopal Worship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 33 households participate online weekly, approximately 45-50 additional parishioners
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• VEAPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVEAP (Victory Entertainment And Pack) is a food pantry and emergency assistance organization in Bloomington. St. Stephen's supports VEAP through food drives, volunteer days, and serving as a distribution point for Casa Maria food deliveries.
• Casa MariacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasa Maria is a ministry of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Richfield providing food and clothing to community members. St. Stephen's volunteers serve at weekly food distributions and VEAP delivers food for their ministry.
• First Nations KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Nations Kitchen is a ministry of All Saints Episcopal Indian Mission in South Minneapolis providing food to indigenous people. St. Stephen's helps prepare, pack, and distribute food on Sunday evenings multiple times per year.
• Holy Cross Anglican SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in San Pedro Town, Belize, Holy Cross Anglican School has been a mission partner since 2007. St. Stephen's conducts annual mission trips providing labor, funding for construction, and educational support. Total cost approximately $40,000 for materials including security fencing, windows, and doors.
• Holy Cross Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit foundation supporting Holy Cross Anglican School. St. Stephen's Jim Bizal serves as Vice Chair of the Board.
• Good Courage FarmsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit agrarian ministry in Hutchinson, MN connected to ECMN. St. Stephen's provides vineyard/orchard stewards, grant writing assistance, and monetary support. Produce from FCSA program benefits First Nations Kitchen and Casa Maria.
• Habitat for HumanitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpiscoBuilders program, founded in 2015, partners with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity to build homes for families in need. St. Stephen's volunteers participate in build days throughout the Twin Cities area.
• Beacon Interfaith Housing CollaborativesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutreach partner developing Aster Commons affordable housing project. Received critical land use approval from the City in November 2023.
• St. Nicholas Episcopal ChurchsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through Casa Maria ministry and joint choir worship services. St. Stephen's choir has traveled to worship with St. Nicholas congregation.
• Bishop's House (Iona)minorOthersRetreat accommodation on Island of Iona, Scotland. St. Stephen's rector leads annual parish pilgrimage staying at Bishop's House.
• Episcopal Parish NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization where Fr. Tom Cook met Rev. Sandy Webb who advised on capital campaigns.
• Greater Minneapolis Crisis NurserysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing emergency care and family support for parents in crisis. St. Stephen's conducted a collection drive August 22 - September 6 for essential household and personal care items.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Tithe.ly: Digital giving platform St. Stephen's uses for online donations. Adjacent technology partner rather than a direct competitor, but enables St. Stephen's digital fundraising strategy.
• Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery: Outreach partner receiving collection drives from St. Stephen's. Adjacent nonprofit that overlaps in mission and constituency but does not directly compete for members.

Direct peers

• St. Martin's by-the-Lake, Minnetonka: Suburban Episcopal parish in Minnetonka serving an affluent lakeside community with similar worship, music ministry, and outreach orientation. Direct competitor for the same west-metro demographic.
• St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Minneapolis: Cathedral-sized Episcopal parish in Minneapolis serving a similar demographic in the Twin Cities metro. Offers comparable worship, music, and outreach programs at a larger scale, competing for members willing to commute.
• St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Edina: Direct geographic peer and fellow Episcopal parish located in Edina, MN. Competes for the same affluent suburban Minneapolis parishioner base with a similar Sunday worship and formation offering.
• Church of the Annunciation, Minneapolis: Episcopal parish in south Minneapolis with similar Sunday worship, formation, and outreach programming. Comparable size and member demographic profile to St. Stephen's.
• St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, Richfield: Adjacent Episcopal parish in Richfield and existing Casa Maria partner. Operates a community food ministry with overlapping parishioner base and serves as a natural substitute for St. Stephen's.

Broad incumbents

• House of Mercy Episcopal Church, Rochester: Episcopal parish within ECMN with similar faith-formation, music, and outreach programming. Competes for ECMN-denominational attention and shared resources at the diocesan level.
• Calvary Episcopal Church, Rochester: Larger, well-established Episcopal parish in Rochester, MN with extensive music and outreach programs. Functions as a regional incumbent that some Edina-area parishioners might consider as an alternative.
• Episcopal Church in Minnesota (ECMN): Parent diocesan organization governing St. Stephen's. Provides shared services, canonical oversight, and resource pooling across all Episcopal parishes in Minnesota.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ststephensedina
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/ststephensedina
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st.-stephen's-episcopal-church-edina-mn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Edina, MN